Gaussian expansions from STOs by the distance between subspaces

Expansions of STO orbitals with GTO s for the first-row atoms have been obtained by the method of the distance between subspaces. The expansion coefficients and exponential parameters were simultaneously varied when the distance between subspaces, which are generated from STO and GTO functions, is minimized. The ζ; exponents (or scale factors) for the atomic orbitals that are optimized for these atoms are also shown to be almost independent of the number of Gaussian functions. Comparisons carried out with Stewart's least-squares method produce equivalent results when exponents for 2s and 2p functions are different. Some examples and applications for several atomic properties of the first-row atoms are included: energies and expectation values of rⁱ and pⁱ for the several expansions. These new minimal basis sets were tested for diatomic and polyatomic molecules containing these atoms. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.